1945 Claude Newman in Warren County Prison in Vicksburg for murder. Given a miraculous medal by a fellow inmate Father, now I know that God loves me. I feel so happy and peaceful as never before. Oh, if only I could be executed tonight and go to God.
I remember being in Rome for Christ the King Sunday and it was the first Sunday they allowed us into the prison. We were able to go there for mass. And there surrounded by prisoners I heard the reading “I was in prison and you visited me.”
“I was in prison and you visited me, a stranger and you welcomed me.”
We reach the last week of Advent and we have reached the last two of our Corporal Works of Mercy.
Who of us is not culpable?
God can and does work in all situations, even in and sometimes despite the worse situations. Some true saints have been not only sent to prison but also made in prisons. St Maxamilian Kolbe, Sts Peter and Paul,
One of the images of the Eucharist is that Jesus is a Prisoner of love, allowing himself to be imprisoned in the host for us.
We think they don’t deserve mercy, as if mercy were ever something that was deserved or earned. We have missed the mark. Showing them some mercy, kindness is also a reflection of us
Final cardinal virtue: Prudence. Prudence seems like a virtue that is all about keeping your mouth shut when you should. Rather, it is all about using our freedom correctly. Its knowing the good and choosing the best course of actions here and now. It is the proper use of our freedom. People are in prison because they miss use freedom, the same freedom we have. We also do need prudence of what is the best course of actions to be taken.